Critical reviews are mixed for BvS, but the life long comic book readers in our group were sold on the flick due to the presence of DC fan gold moments (like the Parademon) scattered throughout the story. Others watched the movie but did not fully experience these moments because of negative feelings toward some of its less positive aspects, and when they realized this sad fact they cried, then watched the movie a second time and waited to see all the clues leading us to definitely Darkseid, maybe even Injustice. This person was not Katie.

Watch our review here:

Plot (spoilers):

Eighteen months after the destructive battle with General Zod in Metropolis in Man of Steel, Superman has become a controversial figure. Billionaire Bruce Wayne, who has operated in Gotham City as the vigilante Batman for nearly two decades, sees Superman as a potential threat to humanity. After learning of Batman’s form of justice, Clark Kent, Superman’s alter-ego, seeks to expose Batman via Daily Planet articles. Wayne learns that Russian weapon trafficker Anatoli Knyazev has been contacting LexCorp mogul Lex Luthor. Meanwhile, Luthor unsuccessfully tries to persuade Senator June Finch to allow him to import kryptonite retrieved from the Indian Ocean following Zod’s terraforming attempt, claiming he wants to maintain it as a “deterrent” against Kryptonians. He instead makes alternative plans with Finch’s subordinate and gains access to Zod’s body and the Kryptonian scout ship.

Wayne attends a party at LexCorp, where he meets an antiquities dealer named Diana Prince, and retrieves encrypted data from the company’s mainframe. While decrypting the drive at the Batcave, Wayne dreams of a post-apocalyptic world, where he leads a group of rebels against a fascist Superman. He is snapped out of the vision by an unidentified being who warns him of Lois Lane‘s crucial role in the future, and urges him to find “the others” before vanishing. Wayne later discovers that Luthor is not only experimenting with kryptonite, but also investigating metahumans. One of them is Prince herself, who is an immortal warrior. Wayne admits to Alfred Pennyworth that he plans to steal the kryptonite to weaponize it, should it become necessary to fight Superman.

At a congressional hearing, as Finch questions Superman on the validity of his actions, a bomb goes off and kills everyone present but Superman. Believing he should have detected the bomb, and frustrated by his failure to save the people, Superman goes into self-imposed exile. Batman breaks into LexCorp and steals the kryptonite, planning to use it to battle Superman by building a powered exoskeleton, and creating a kryptonite grenade launcher and a kryptonite-tipped spear. Meanwhile, Luthor enters the Kryptonian ship and accesses details of a vast technology database accumulated from over 100,000 worlds.

Luthor kidnaps Martha Kent, Clark’s adoptive mother, to bring Superman out of exile. He reveals to him that he manipulated Superman and Batman by fueling their distrust for each other. Luthor demands that Superman kill Batman in exchange for Martha’s life. Superman tries to explain the situation to Batman, but instead Batman fights Superman and eventually subdues him. Before Batman can kill him with the spear, Superman urges Batman to “save Martha”, whose name is also shared with Wayne’s late mother, confusing him long enough for Lane to arrive and reason with Batman. Realizing how far he has fallen and unwilling to let an innocent die, Batman rescues Martha, while Superman confronts Luthor on the scout ship.

Luthor executes his backup plan, unleashing a genetically-engineered monster with DNA from both Zod’s body and his own. Prince arrives unexpectedly, and revealing her metahuman nature, she joins forces with Batman and Superman to fight the creature. It becomes clear that the creature can absorb and redirect energy, and outmatches Prince, Batman and Superman. Realizing that it is vulnerable to kryptonite, Superman retrieves the kryptonite spear. With Batman and Prince’s help containing it, Superman impales the monster, killing it. In its last moments, the creature fatally stabs a weakened Superman with one of its bone protrusions.

Luthor is arrested, and Batman confronts him in prison, warning Luthor that he will always be watching him. Luthor gloats that Superman’s death has made the world vulnerable to powerful alien threats. A memorial is held for Superman in Metropolis. Clark is also declared dead, and Wayne, Lane, Martha, and Prince attend a private funeral for him in Smallville. Martha gives an envelope to Lane, which contains an engagement ring from Clark. After the funeral, Wayne reveals to Prince that he plans to form a team of metahumans, starting with those from Luthor’s files, to help protect the world in Superman’s absence. After they leave, the dirt atop Clark’s coffin begins to levitate.